1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a washing machine provided with a detergent dispenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a washing machine is an apparatus for putting laundry and wash water into a drum and then removing contaminants adhered to the laundry through an interaction between the laundry and the wash water while rotating the drum. During the process, various additives for enhancing washing power and protecting laundry may be used together therewith. Representative additives may include detergent or various fabric softeners, and the like.
Such detergent or various fabric softeners (hereinafter, referred to as “detergent”) may be directly injected into wash water by a user, but may also be supplied through a detergent supply apparatus provided in a washing machine. The detergent supply apparatus may be mounted on a front surface or upper surface of the washing machine to allow the injected detergent to be supplied into the drum along with wash water.
Specifically, when a user injects an adequate amount of detergent into an input space provided in the detergent supply apparatus, wash water supplied to the drum passes through the input space, thereby allowing wash water together with the detergent to be supplied to the drum.
Such a conventional washing machine requires a space for providing a passage at an upper portion of the drum of the washing machine in which a passage for supplying wash water to the drum from the input space is additionally provided. Furthermore, when a door is installed on a front surface thereof, a detergent supply apparatus is mounted on an upper surface of the washing machine, and the door is mounted below the detergent supply apparatus, and thus the height of the door is low. Accordingly, there is a problem in which it is inconvenient for the user to open the door and put laundry into the drum.
Furthermore, a washing machine with the foregoing structure may bring inconvenience for the user in determining an adequate amount of detergent as well as supplying the detergent for each washing cycle. In order to solve this problem, a type of detergent supply apparatus in which a large amount of detergent is stored to supply an adequate amount of detergent for each washing cycle is taken into consideration. However, due to the characteristics of powder detergent, when it is brought into contact with moisture, there is a problem in which detergent powder particles agglomerate together to clog the inlet.